They dedicated their lives to the citizens of DeKalb County, knowing, at the time, they would have a meager pension and some assistance with health insurance premiums upon retirement.
But now our retirees have become to expensive. They are a burden to the taxpayers of DeKalb County. The commissioners don't have the courage to make appropriate cuts in budgets and reduce the bloated work force to protect our retirees.
So now the rules may be changed. The commissioners are considering to just simply drop their health insurance, leaving our retirees to defend for themselves. For them to just hold on until they reach the age of
It wasn't supposed to be this way. The retirees planned for their future. They made financial decisions based on knowing a part of their health insurance would be paid. They invested in Differed Comp to help make ends meet knowing their pension would not be enough. But now, they will have to use that, plus more, to pay for health insurance.
They may not be in the best of health, they may have spouses or children that are sick and struck with a debilitating illness or disease. They cannot simply run out and get another job that offers benefits, especially in this economy.
When the retirees hired on, benefits was part of the deal. Now the commissioners are wanting to break their end of the deal. It gives us a sick feeling in our stomachs to know the commissioners are even considering treating our retirees like this.
As a current employee, an employee who is nearing retirement or one who wants to make this a career until retirement, you should be equally afraid. Because now, on that wonderful day that you retire, you could easily retire into no healthcare.
But at the end of the day, when all is said and done, Burrell Ellis, his staff and all the commissioners will have their insurance premiums paid until the day they die.
Now get out there and write those tickets!
11 comments:
With all due respect to the Blogmaster....you are not eligible for Medicare until you are 65. It is my belief that this "consideration" by the BOC coincides with the the implementation of "Obamacare" in 2013 which will require everyone to obtain insurance and insurance companies will not be able to kick you to the curb - except for some loopholes (like - you're sick). So - between the ages of 62 and 65 - if the County dumps retiree insurance - you are going to pay out the nose. From what I understand, there are about 2500+/- retired employees out there that will be impacted by this newest "cost saving venture" of the County. It's simple, people. Show up at these meetings. If you are dependent on this insurance, show them...if you are sick and need this insurance...show them. Lets keep each other informed as to what is going on. No hyperbole or rumors. Let's stick to the facts and deal with this.
You speak what I've thought and said...lifetime decisions made on what I was promised in exchange for my Dedication anmyService .....
I came to Dekalb making less than I made in the private sector knowing I would be compensated at a later date .... during retirement.
Boyer's "we'd give them six months before any change " is a croc of "Sh--".... I made plans and LIFETIME decisions based on what was freely offered by the county IN EXCHANGE FOR MY SERVICES. This was a long term arrangement.
If the county is going to back out of the deal, I need an extra $15k in order to invest in the retirement and health benefits that is no longer going to be part of my current compensation.
Pay me NOW or agree to pay me later
Might as well plan on jumping off a cliff if dependent upon Dekalb County for ANYTHING. I suppose we can all plan an "occupy the BOC" event in the tents we'll all be living in by then.
I curse the day I ever came to work here.
Yep......some of the bloated work force in this county is the police department. It's so top heavy there aren't enough officers on the road.
To the writer of "Shameless". I would like to know where you got your info. about retirees possibly losing their insurance in 2013. Being a retiree myself, if I have solid facts, and not heresay, I will start to pursue this now instead of waiting next year and let the commissioners drop a bomb on me and any other retirees. I'm not saying yours info. isn't true, but you know how some like to write stuff on this blog, knowing it is nothing but B.S..
Mickey,
We direct you to: http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-making-workers-pay-1198703.html
Boy ...have the chickens come home to roost...don't say I didn't tell you all so, but I do believe you heard it first from me....
Yours Truly,
The Lone Ranger
My opinion:
Just looked on the internet and Kaiser is offering a individual rate of about 300 bucks a month with 30 dollar co-pays, both double what is offered to current retirees.
To the five labor and union loving Democrats that control the BOC, how can you love labor and simultaneously screw the county employees of pension and benefits, not to mention the substandard employee salaries for the last decade? Where is your logic?
Just who would work for such a fracked up government employer? the homeless? Better yet the "wall street occupiers" that you unofficially condone? Do you really support a 20 dollar an hour minimum wage for county employees?
The current Ellis administration and BOC collectively is best described as a dysfunctional disaster. The employees and retirees are in the middle of it all with no representation, trying to do a good job while core functions deteriorate with generic budget cuts applied with no regard to maintaining critical services. Why is the DKPD Aerial Support Unit grounded except for emergency operations and maintenance of the last surviving unit? Why has not the wrecked helicopter never been replaced when the county owns and operates horse farms, aqua-parks, performing arts center, and countless other non-critical services and entities?
What are the priorities of DeKalb government except to screw the employees and retirees while expanding non-critical services and ignoring core services and functions?
My opinionated opinion,
KenC
What Health Care Plan covers the BOC and the CEO? How much do they pay for it? What plans will be available for them in 2012 and how much will they pay for it? I would like to see that posted here.
Harry Callahan
It doesn't look like the commissioners are wanting to completely take away retirement health benefits. The AJC article said something about longevity. So it looks like if you worked for Dekalb for only 3 years and vested then you'd get a lot less paid toward your retiree healthcare than someone who worked 30 years and retired. I hate to say it, but that sounds fair. For those of us who have spent most of our careers here, we deserve decent retirement benefits. Those who used DeKalb as a temporary stepping point for a couple of years shouldn't get the same retiree benefit as those of us who have spent a career here. I don't know what the right plan is here, but any good ideas should be posted because it sounds like they are going to do this one way or another!
Post a Comment